... sources say Turner will have the opportunity to cash in when the NBA’s salary cap rises significantly, as expected in 2016.

The sides had been in discussion nearly every day since July 1. Turner, traded from Philadelphia to Indiana in February, became an unrestricted free agent when the Pacers declined to extend him the $8.7-million qualifying offer.

The deal carries little risk for the Celtics, who have been shuffling their roster looking for value while hoping to make a trade that will allow them to become competitive sooner.

Turner has been criticized for his inefficiency, but some scouts have attributed that to his trying to live up to his high draft position rather than simply settling in and playing his well-rounded, if less spectacular, game.

[Editorial Comment: Most players, other than the superstars, don't have that breakout year until their rookie contract is expiring, has been extended or a new one written ... so 4-5 yrs before the real player emerges]

“There’s tremendous upside in the opportunity for both sides,” said Falk. “I think the Celtics got an old-school Celtic-type player who’s very, very talented, has a very high basketball IQ and is highly motivated to prove to people that he’s not the player who ended the year in Indiana."

“There are teams that offered him one-year deals. There are teams that offered him multi-year deals,” said Falk. “But I think the deal here is secondary to the environment.

“Boston all along has been probably our No. 1 destination. I felt what Evan needed was to kind of replicate the relationship that he had with coach Brett Brown in Philadelphia. ... We were really looking mostly for an environment more than geography.”

Falk admitted his clear bias, but he supported his case that the trade from the 76ers cost his client.

“Had Evan stayed in Philly with those kind of numbers, more than likely he would have made in excess of $10 million a year,” he said. “So we obviously didn’t want to lock him into a long-term kind of a deal, and I think, likewise, the Celtics want to see. They know Evan was the national Player of the Year (in 2009-10). They know that over the last two years he’s averaged 14, 6 and 4 (13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists), which are pretty good numbers. So I think this is an opportunity for him to re-establish his value in a new environment."